5:53 PM,
May 2, 2013

Dr. Anita Saluja examines Diana Matthews' foot after surgery. Matthews is keeping an online journal of her experiences with melanoma.

Written by

Janet Begley
| For FLORIDA TODAY

When Diana Matthews of Melbourne visited her dermatologist for a routine checkup, she never expected to be diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma between her toes.

But when Dr. Anita Saluja of Melbourne removed the small spot, a biopsy showed it to be cancer - an especially viral form that can spread throughout the body's lymphatic system if left unchecked.

"I had seen the spot there, and over time, it got darker and started to look ugly," said Matthews, 49. "Dr. Saluja asked if I wanted her to remove it, and when the biopsy came back, it was melanoma." ...